Ornamental Bird
by thebrokencradle
Summary: "Even if I did remove them, I would regret it for the rest of my life. He binds me with his chains, and they fit me so well that I know I wouldn't be able to live without them." Sequel to "Caged Bird" Prequel to "Little Songbird"


AN: The timeline order for these stories is: Caged Bird, Ornamental Bird, Little Songbird.

_Crane stared at the enormous Dragon Kung Fu School, his feathers ruffling slightly in anxiety. His few meager possessions were strapped to his back and as he entered the grounds of the school he knew he was far out of his league at the sight that greeted him._

_A small red panda was barking orders rapidly and tapping the ground with a long, thin flute as an enormous snow leopard executed moves as quickly as if he were a powerful wind. He finally stopped, with a roar, panting and growling as his tail lashed back and forth. Crane tried to avoid him, but golden eyes suddenly snapped to him. A thick black eyebrow was raised and the leopard smirked, turning to look him over._

"_Master Shifu, we seem to have a visitor." The red panda looked up and walked briskly over, looking at Crane with a frown._

"_Your name?"_

"_People call me Crane."_

"_I want your name, not what people call you." The young crane's head dropped and he sighed._

"_Bai He Quan." He was severely embarrassed by his name, a feminine sounding name, and avoided allowing people to call him that name._

"_This is what we're allowing into the institute?" The snow leopard sneered, circling the crane. "Are you sure you didn't make a wrong turn on your way to the geisha house?"_

_Crane's eyes narrowed but he kept still._

"_I assure you, I am as capable as you."_

"_Me?" the leopard chuckled. "Do you know who I am?"_

"_A pompous arse who believes that simply because I am not as large and brutish as you that I am less than capable."_

_The snow leopard lunged with a roar and Crane spun, thrusting the snow leopard aside, narrowly avoiding getting his skull smashed by a large backswung paw._

"_I am the future Dragon Warrior, Tai Lung."_

"_You aren't the Dragon Warrior yet, then." Crane smoothly folded his wings over his chest, spreading them with enough to force the enormous warrior away when he attempted to cuff him._

_They spun like that for a few minutes, Tai Lung thrusting forward like an arrow intent on its target and Crane dancing aside, never landing an offensive blow to the snow leopard. Shifu smiled as he watched the two, observing their movements. After a few moments their fight looked like a dance. A dance of fire and passionate beings as they complemented and fed off of each other's movements._

_Eventually they stood, a bare foot between them as they stared at one another, both panting and surprisingly relaxed._

"_You're skilled." Tai Lung murmured and Shifu raised an eyebrow at that. Tai Lung rarely admitted to another's skill._

"_Thank you," Crane smiled slightly. "So are you."_

"_Master Shifu." Tai Lung looked at the red panda. "Might I show Crane his room?"_

"_Of course, my son." Shifu smiled and nodded to Crane's things. "Help him with his things, Tai Lung."_

"_Of course." Tai Lung smirked at Crane as he circled around the bird, eyes never leaving the muscular, thin body. Crane watched him warily for a moment before shyly looking down, allowing his hat to cover his face._

Crane sighed as he sat in his room, attempting to meditate. But with the recent battle between Po and Tai Lung had left him unnerved. The others might have liked to believe that Tai Lung was dead, but "vanquished" didn't mean "dead". And a body had never been recovered from the village for a burial.

"Crane?" Crane stiffened and looked up to see Po and his friends standing in the doorway to his room.

"Are you alright?" Po asked, shuffling nervously.

"Yeah, you've been… off… ever since Tai Lung died."

"He isn't dead." Crane whispered, looking down. "He's still out there."

"You can't know that. Nobody knows the exact power of the Wuxi finger hold. He could have been disintegrated."

"No!" Crane stood. "You don't know him like I do! He's alive and he'll come back here for m-" Crane froze at his near slip, knowing that the others had heard it. He turned and opened his window, launching himself out of it.

"Crane!" The others followed and Crane spun through the air, quickly losing his friends. He landed near Master Oogway's peach tree. He sighed and stood on one leg, wings folded as he tried to clear his mind of any thoughts.

"Crane…" The others had caught up.

"Tai Lung was young when I met him. He hasn't changed much. He was still pompous, snide, power-hungry… But he was passionate… When we first met there was… animosity then respect… Then there was more…" Crane sighed. "I admit. I loved him. I shouldn't have, but I did. And I know that he loved me. When he found out he wasn't the Dragon Warrior he was upset. He thought that I wouldn't feel the same for him if he wasn't the Dragon Warrior. He was wrong, but he didn't care. He attacked the Jade Palace and you all know he was imprisoned."

"But why would he come back for you?" Viper asked softly. Crane held up his leg, showing the numerous bracelets.

"I am his. He swore that I would always be his. These bind me to him as surely as any chain."

_Crane smiled as he stared at Tai Lung, the leopard gently stroking Crane's chest. _

"_You are mine." Tai Lung sighed, licking Crane's neck and purring deeply._

"_Hmm…" Crane sighed and allowed himself to be groomed by his lover. He looked down when Tai Lung stopped grooming him. The leopard was reaching over to a small box, pulling out several small bracelets. Tai Lung smirked and slid the bracelet onto Crane's legs, purring as he nuzzled muscular thighs._

"_So long as you wear these, you are mine… My lover… My mate… My slave."_

Crane stared at his legs.

"Even if I did remove them, I would regret it for the rest of my life." Crane looked at his friends, pain, sadness and a small smile painting his face. "He binds me with his chains, and they fit me so well that I know I wouldn't be able to live without them."


End file.
